NATRONA COUNTY CORONER
ENDORSEMENTS/LETTERS OF SUPPORT
PROVEN LEADERSHIPDear Connie,
Congratulations on becoming the Natrona County Coroner. Although the position has its challenges, it is wonderful to know that someone who has a solid background in nursing is filling this special position.
Wyoming is fortunate that you have chosen a career that benefits our citizens so greatly. You play a crucial role in our community and have a wonderful opportunity to guide Wyoming's future.
I appreciate your hard work and look forward to hearing of your continued success.
With Warm Regards,
John Barrasso, M.D.
United States Senator
"This is terrific! Nice story in the paper!
John"
“ "I have known Connie Jacobson for nearly 30 years. During that time I have known her as a student of mine and a successful professional. I have always found Connie to approach her professional life with an unparalleled vigor and enthusiasm. Connie is very bright and dedicated to Forensic Science. Her ability to serve as an excellent coroner for Natrona County is indisputable. Her background and experience in Forensic Medicine speaks for itself and the fact that Dr. James Thorpen had enough confidence in her to recommend her to fill is term in office seems proof of that. As Coroner of Johnson County, Wyoming I give Connie Jacobson my full endorsement as the next elected coroner of Natrona County." This website is fantastic! Completely consistent with your professionalism and knowledge of the medico-legal, death investigation field. Your innovation and experience offer so much to the Coroner’s Office, the families, and to our community that we serve! I am very fortunate to be working and learning with you and know your vision and the direction you have taken the Coroner's Office is only the beginning! It is an honor and privilege to stand beside you during this campaign with full support. Forensic Science needs leaders of excellence, such as you who will undoubtedly continue to perpetuate for years to come.
Retired
David S. Harness
BCFE, BCFM Diplomat of the American Board of Forensic Medicine
Coroner-Johnson County, Wyoming
Betsy
Adjunct Professor,
I have known and worked closely with
Sincerely,
The following editorial - endorsing Connie Jacobson for Natrona County Coroner - appeared in the Casper Star Tribune on August 10, 2010.
The following are Letters to the Editor that have appeared in the Casper Star Tribune in support of Connie Jacobson being retained as the Natrona County Coroner:
Police
group
backs
Jacobson
Both
the Casper and
Natrona
County Lodges of
the
Fraternal Order of Police,
representing
municipal
and
county law enforcement
officers,
have
elected
to support Connie
Jacobson
in the upcoming
election
for Natrona
County
coroner.
This
decision was
reached
following a review
of
responses to questions
submitted
to Matt Keating,
Jonathan
Christie,
and
Connie Jacobson.
These
questionnaires
asked
for information
concerning
each candidate’s
education,
specific
experience
as it relates to
the
practical requirements
of
the position of coroner,
law
enforcement and
forensics
training,and
background.
Based on the
responses
supplied by
each
candidate, and discussions
held
with stakeholders
from
throughout
the
county,Connie Jacobson
was
overwhelmingly
endorsed
as the best candidate
for
the position.
Members
of law enforcement
found
that
what
set Jacobson apart
from
the other candidates
was
her dedication to the
position.
Strikingly, she
served
as a deputy coroner
prior
to being named
coroner
in September
2009.Neither
of the other
candidates
had shown
an
interest in the coroner’s
position
prior to the
recent
campaigning season.
Law
enforcement in
Natrona
County has, to
a
certain extent, been
spoiled
by the luxury of
having
a highly trained
individual
in the position
of
coroner. To relinquish
this
position to
an
individual who possesses
only
the minimum
qualifications
as
required
by statute will
only
undermine the
professional
and highly
competent
relationship
this
office has developed
with
law enforcement
and,
to a greater
extent,
the citizens of
Natrona
County.
The
duties of coroner
are
far more complex
than
responding to incidents
involving
deceased
persons.
Aside
from
the administrative
nature
of the position,
there
is also the need to
have
an individual capable
of
acting as a member
of
an investigative
team
in situations involving
suspicious
and
unintended
death. With
her
advanced training in
the
forensic sciences,
medical
background,
and
certification as
C\coroner
by the
Wyoming
Peace Officers
Standards
and Training
Commission,
Jacobson
is
the only candidate
even
remotely qualified
for
this position.
Natrona
County deserves
to
have the best
people
possible in positions
of
public trust.
SCOTT JONES, Casper
President, Casper
Fraternal Order of Police
Lodge No. 6
Coroner’s
job
is
complex
Editor:
We
would like to
express
our support of
Connie
Jacobson for
Natrona
County coroner.
In
March 2010,my
father
passed away very
suddenly
and unexpectedly.
We
initially assumed
he
had suffered a massive
heart
attack, although
there
was no indication
leading
up to his death
that
anything was out of
the
ordinary. The following
days
were spent asking
ourselves
why we hadn’t
done
more and why we
didn’t
see what was happening.
Connie
contacted my
Mom
several days later
and
informed her that my
Dad
had actually had a
cardiac
aneurysm. In
addition,Connie
worked
with
Donor Alliance to
coordinate
tissue donation.
She
and her office
worked
very hard on a
Sunday
to make sure they
had
all the necessary tests
and
radiographs completed
so
Donor Alliance’s
team
could recover the
usable
tissues in a timely
manner.
She and her office
also
held a teleconference
with
Donor Alliance that
day
in order to orchestrate
the
donation.
The
bottom line is that
a
coroner is much more
than
your average elected
official.
The job requires
more
than just budgeting
and
supervisory skills.
Coroners
investigate
deaths
and help to bring
some
closure to families
going
through a very difficult
time.Without
Connie’s
experience
and training
we
may have never
known
the truth behind
my
Dad’s passing.
Connie’s
dedication to her
job
and the compassion for
the
family of a man she had
never
meant were apparent.
She
has proven herself capable
of
handling the job and is
willing
to go the extra mile.
Her
expertise is essential to
being
Natrona County’s
coroner
and will allow her to
serve
the community well.
Many
people do not realize
the
importance of having a
competent
coroner until the
unexpected
happens.
Connie
is the right
choice
for Natrona
County.We
will be casting
our
votes for her this
upcoming
election season,
and
we encourage others
to
the same.
SHELBY and DANA BOE,
Casper
Jacobson
is
clear
choice
Editor:
While
it is true that
Matt
Keating is eligible to
file
for the office of
Natrona
County coroner,
as
voters,we have the
responsibility
to choose
the
most qualified candidate.
The
choice is clear.
Connie
Jacobson brings
to
the office her many
years
of experience in
nursing
and forensics and
her
formal education
including
an Associates
Degree
in Nursing from
Casper
College, Bachelor
of
Science Degree in Nursing
from
the University of
Wyoming,
Masters in
Health
Administration
from
the University of
Phoenix,
and the Forensic
Nursing
Program from
Colorado
University.
She
also brings to the
office
her in-depth forensic
training,
including:
Coroner
Basic Course
from
the Wyoming Law
Enforcement
Academy,
Medico-legal
Death
Investigation
from St.
Louis
School of Medicine,
Police
Medico-legal
Investigation
of Death
from
the Miami-Dade
Medical
Examiners’
Office,
and Wyoming
Investigator’s
Homicide
School.
She
is a strong advocate
of
organ and tissue donation,
giving
life-saving
hope
to patients and families.
She
promotes such
programs
as Safe Kids Day,
saving
lives. She will move
the
coroner’s office forward
with
professionalism,
integrity,
trust and
experience.
Cast
your vote for the
clear
choice on Aug. 17 —
Connie
Jacobson.
KATHY and MIKE HAMRE,
Casper
Jacobson
is
best
qualified
There
are two Republican
candidates
who are
seeking
the position of
Natrona
County coroner.
The
winner should be the
best,
the most qualified
and
the most experienced
person
for the job.
Let’s
review the facts.
The
coroner’s duties in our
county
require extensive
medical
knowledge and
medical
understanding.
Coroner
Connie Jacobson
has
the most extensive
medical
knowledge and
understanding.Matt
Keating
has an EMT certificate,
whereas,Coroner
Jacobson
is a registered
nurse
and forensic nurse.
Who
has the most
death
investigation training?
Keating
has stated he
attended
the Wyoming
Law
Enforcement Academy
in
1986, and has a fireman’s
background.
Jacobson
completed
the
required
coroner basic
training
in 1998, and then
again
in 2010. Jacobson is a
trained
forensic nurse who
has
advanced training in
investigations
and interviewing
skills.
Who
has the most experience
in
investigating
deaths
and working death
scenes?
Matt Keating has
responded
to scenes where
people
have died, but has
not
participated in a full
coroner’s
investigation.
Jacobson
started as a
deputy
coroner in 1998, in
order
to gain a knowledgeable
background
as a coroner’s
Investigator.
Jacobson
has
five years of
“hands-on
involvement”
in
investigating death
scenes.
In addition, Jacobson
has
over five years of
experience
in assisting
pathologists
with autopsy
examinations.
Jacobson
has
assisted in the prosecution
of
criminal-related
death
cases.
The
requirements of a
coroner’s
death investigation
are
far different than
those
of a first responder’s
involvement.Once
life
preservation
has ended,
death
investigation begins.
The
coroner’s responsibility
comes
right into action
at
the worst time of someone’s
life,
and the actions
of
the coroner must be accurate
and
compassionate.
Let
the known facts speak
for
themselves.
Jacobson
has extensive
administrative
and leadership
skills.Connie
Jacobson
is
the best qualified
candidate
to continue as
coroner.
She is the only
candidate
certified by the
State
of Wyoming Peace
Officer
Standards Training
(POST).
Jacobson maintains
the
highest level of
compassion,
dignity and
respect
for the deceased
and
their families. Jacobson
is
endorsed by the Fraternal
Order
of Police,
which
represents law enforcement
personnel
in
Natrona
County.
WAYNE L. REYNOLDS,
Casper
Jacobson
has
the
training
I
would like to take this
opportunity
to address the
July
18 letter to the editor
by
coroner candidate Matt
Keating
(“Coroner hopeful
clears
air”).
I
have no personal ax to
grind,
nor anything personal
to
gain.However, I
think
it would be a travesty,
if
we the voting citizens
of
Natrona County
voted
for a recognized
name
(Matt Keating),
rather
than the superb
qualifications
of Connie
Jacobson,
to continue to
be
our county coroner. To
make
this error would literally
cost
the county
thousands
of tax dollars to
bring
an underqualified
person
up to speed to
maintain
the standards as
an
administrative investigator
in
this county.
The
basic statutory
requirements
to be a candidate
for
the office of
county
coroner are: (1)
candidate
must be 21 years
of
age, (2) not be a convicted
felon,
to name just a
couple.
Qualifications to
be
a coroner in this county
are
much higher.
Matt
Keating listed his
experience
as (1) fireman,
(2)
EMT for 20 years in
Natrona
County, (3) full mode
EMT
intermediate
certified
in cardiac meds,
(4)
narcan, (5) D50, (6)
chest
darts, (7) manual
defibrillation.
Connie
Jacobson is
qualified
as follows. Formal
education:
(1) AS
Nursing,CC,
(2) BS nursing,
UW,
(3) Health
administration,
Masters,
University
of Phoenix, (4)
Forensic
nursing,Colorado
University.
This is
already
paid for from her
personal
funds due to her
desire
of career choice.
Additional
training: (1)
Coroner
basic course at
Wyoming
Law Enforcement
Academy,
(2) Police
Medico-Legal
Investigation
of
Death, St. Louis
School
of Medicine, (3)
Wyoming
Investigators
Homicide
School.
Experience:
(1) Connie
has
been practicing in
these
fields for the past 20
years,
(2) for the last year
Connie
has been our
Natrona
County coroner.
Go
to the website to learn
more
at connieforcoroner.
com.
Sorry,
Mr. Keating. It
looks
like you are trained
to
be a good fireman.Connie
Jacobson
is trained to
be
an outstanding coroner
in
the footsteps of Dr.
James
Thorpen.
Voters,
use your vote
wisely.
A vote for Connie
Jacobson,
RN equals a vote
for
a quality job, faster
results,
savings of our tax
dollars
and actual coroner
administration
experience.
Do
not let the high
standards
set by Dr. Thorpen
in
his tenure as our
coroner
be lost on the
inexperience
of a wellknown
name.
THOMAS T. PHILLIPS,
Evansville
Jacobson
has
training
Now
that we know Matt
Keating
is “qualified”by
state
statute to be coroner,let
it
be known that the qualifications
needed
to be coroner
are
minimal,as are any other
elected
official.However,
after
having a forensic
pathologist
for coroner in
Natrona
County for 24-plus
years,a
higher standard of
qualifications
has been set.
Those
similar standards have
been
met and sustained by
Connie
Jacobson.
With
Connie’s master’s
degree
in health administration,
bachelor
of science
degree
in nursing,experience
in
medicolegal death
investigations,program
management,registered
professional
nurse for 24
years,as
well as a trained
forensic
nurse,it is clear that
she
can easily follow a
board-certified
forensic
pathologist.
As
noted in Dr.Jim Thorpen’s
July
11 letter,Connie
has
entered into this position
with
similar qualifications,
training
and education.In
addition
to Connie’s already
higher
level of training and
education,she
will save the
county
a great deal of time
and
money for that training.
I
have had the pleasure of
working
with Connie,both
as
a coroner’s investigator in
the
past,and now as coroner
of
Natrona County.Connie is
dedicated
to the people of
our
community in a position
that
requires professional
judgment
in some of the
most
difficult situations.
Should
you have any doubts
about
the best qualified and
experienced
candidate to be
your
coroner,please visit,
connieforcoroner.com;
then
vote,Connie
Jacobson,RN,
for
coroner.
REINA M. WAGNER, Casper
A
stranger
for
Jacobson
Editor:
I
have never met Connie
Jacobson
and, frankly,hope
that
I won’t for a while yet,
at
least not professionally.
But
I would feel a lot more
comfortable
knowing that
when
my time comes,Connie
will
be the coroner dealing
with
me.
Natrona
County has been
fortunate
that Dr.Jim Thorpen
established
the precedent
of
having a medically
trained
and experienced
person
for coroner.Connie
Jacobson
is clearly the only
candidate
with such qualifications
and
experience to
continue
this tradition.She
deserves
our support for this
important
position.
BART REA, Casper
Keating
lacks
qualifications
We
need to remind Matt
Keating
again that first
responders/firemen
that
happen
to be first at a scene
where
there is a fatality are
there
to assist living victims
and
assist with scene control.
Firemen
respond to
fires,
not fatalities as he
seems
to be communicating
to
the public.
An
EMT’s training and
sole
focus is on life preservation.
Keating
is grasping
at
reasons to persuade the
public
to think he has any
kind
of qualification to be a
medically
trained coroner.
He
attended the law
enforcement
academy in
the
late 1980s and has not
worked
in law enforcement
since.
That short-term
experience
has nothing to
do
with being a coroner.
Keating
does not know the
difference
between law
enforcement’s
criminal
investigation
and the coroner’s
forensic
investigation.
My
opinion is that Keating
has
no qualifications of
being
a coroner and Connie
Jacobson
has all the qualifications
and
experience of
staying
in the office of the
coroner
where she has been
the
administrator of the
office
for the past year.
Jacobson
has
great
record
Editor:
I
have known and worked
closely
with Connie Jacobson
for
almost 30 years in her
capacity
as an ER Nurse,
Trauma
Program Coordinator,
Advanced
Trauma Life
Support
coordinator,Critical
Care
Course Coordinator and
educator.She
has been
among
the best.Her experience
and
qualifications in the
coroner
position are well
known
and supported by
many
medical,legal and law
enforcement
professionals in
this
community.
Her
compassion,integrity,
dedication
to the citizens of
Natrona
County are equally
impressive.She
has,as always,
conducted
a professional,
compassionate,efficient
office
as administrator and
coroner
over the past year.Her
opponent,Matt
Keating,has
no
qualifications to be a coroner
in
this county.Vote for
Connie
Jacobson for coroner.
Keating
should
resign
Editor:
With
Matt Keating’s
decision
to run for Natrona
County
coroner, and the
new
budget session completed,
does
it not seem reasonable
for
him to finally
resign
his position as commissioner?
There
seems to
be
a conflict of interest with
his
current position as commissioner
and
his sudden
desire
to be coroner.
According
to the Ethics
and
Disclosure Act,Section
9-13-106,
a public official is
only
disqualified from voting
on
items where there is a
clear
case of personal or private
interest.
It defines a
personal
or private interest
as
one that is (1) direct and
immediate
and (2) provides
the
official with a greater
benefit
than the public at
large.
First
of all, $75,000
seems
pretty interesting to
me.As
commissioner,he
helped
approve the coroner’s
salary
back to
$75,000,
and then subsequently
filed
to run for that
position.
Of course,one
would
not want to cut one’s
own
throat should they
become
the new coroner.
OK,so
this may be speculative.
I
wonder then about
ethics,
since what he is
doing
is not against the law.
I
question where Keating’s
dedication
to the public
truly
lies.Would it not have
been
a most noble act to
resign
his position as commissioner
and
clear all
speculation?
All
over Natrona County,
Keating
seemingly places
his
signs wherever he feels
the
desire.Campaign rules
and
regulations have been
published
numerous times,
and
are also included in
campaign
packets.Of
course,
he is not the only
candidate
guilty of this.
A
Keating campaign ad
was
recently placed in a
local
flier without identification
of
who paid for the
ad.
Another no-no.Unfortunately,
Matt
Keating’s bad
habits
continue to grow in
number
as this campaign
progresses.He
simply does
not
conform to guidelines.
Is
this a reflection of how he
conducts
business?
Being
first responder and
commissioner
does not
qualify
him to be coroner.
Death
investigations are not
part
of a fireman’s job
description.
If being coroner
was
Keating’s “calling,”
then
why has he not
acquired
education in this
field
throughout the years?
The
coroner’s office is
not
a paper-chase office. It
is
a full-time position where
the
administrator offers
families
clear answers that
have
been presented from
an
extensive medicolegal
investigation.Connie
Jacobson,RN,was
in fact
appointed
by the commissioners
as
the best qualified
for
coroner.
Jacobson
deserves
job
Editor:
When
I was anticipating
retirement
after more
than
25 years of serving
Natrona
County as coroner,
I
envisioned a person
stepping
in who had similar
qualifications,
training
and
education as I
have
— someone who understands
the
job of what
the
coroner really does,
how
the coroner thinks
and
how the coroner anticipates
and
de-escalates
a
problem before it
even
starts.
My
successor,Connie
Jacobson,
has a firm
grasp
on all of the above.
The
solution of retaining
Ms.
Jacobson as coroner
seems
to be exceedingly
obvious
to me.
The
elected position of
coroner
has the responsibility
of
legally and medically
certifying
the medical
part
of the death
certificate
as well as establishing
a
positive
identification
of the
decedent.
Without an indepth
understanding
of
metabolic
analysis,
hematology,
chemistry,
pathology,
toxicology and
pharmacology,
interpretation
of
these tests cannot
be
clearly identified.
Radiology
assessments
and
findings are critical
components
in the coroner’s
decision
of a cause
of
death outcome.Natural
deaths
that fall under
the
coroner’s jurisdiction
are
the most challenging.
A
medically trained person
would
be able to put
all
the above pieces together
with
the elements
of
the investigation to be
able
to defend a cause and
manner
of death in court.
Connie
Jacobson has all of
these
abilities because
she
has acquired the necessary
training
and education
as
a forensic nurse.
Knowing
the coroner’s
work
is not “on the job”
training.
It is a life-long
learning
process which involves
commitment
to
many
hours of studying
different
aspects of
medicine,knowing
state
statutes,
practicing investigative
techniques,
acquiring
and
maintaining a
sense
of how to sort
through
what is important.
There
should be dedication
to
being available
to
a position that is predictably
unpredictable.
Connie
Jacobson has
proven
that she is dedicated
and
committed to the
office
of the coroner.
Her
opponents in the
race
for coroner have no
qualifications
to be a
coroner.Connie
Jacobson
has
specific training and
education
which focus on
the
work of the coroner
and
has experience of being
a
coroner.
It
is my expectation
that
the coroner of Natrona
County
continue to
uphold
and exceed the
standards
that I have
maintained
as a forensic
pathologist
throughout
the
years.
Casper
Natrona County Coroner,
Retired
Jacobson
is
qualified
Editor:
I
have had the opportunity
to
work with Connie Jacobson
as
coroner in the past year and
have
been duly impressed
with
her knowledge of forensic
science.
As
a forensic nurse with a
strong
background in
medicine
and experience as
a
death investigator, she is
the
only viable candidate for
coroner.
High
standards have been
set
in the coroner’s office and
Connie
Jacobson maintains
and
upholds those standards.
She
and her highly qualified
staff
are both professional and
personable.
Matt
Keating,her opponent,
is
a county commissioner
and
a fireman with no
coroner,medical,or
forensic
experience,and
is running
his
campaign on name
recognition
only.
Please,voters,cast
your
vote
for a true experienced
professional.Get
the facts and
vote
for Connie Jacobson for
coroner.
